England vs USA Preview & Prediction | 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup | Pool Stage
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Former winners England and USA kick off the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup in Sunderland.
Kick-off date/time:
How to watch on TV: UK – BBC / US – CBS Sports
How to watch online: UK – BBC iPlayer & the BBC Sport Website & app / US – Paramount+
England team news
Squad: Kildunne; Dow, Jones, Heard, Breach; Harrison, Hunt; Botterman, Cokayne, Muir, Talling, Ward, Aldcroft (capt), Kabeya, Matthews
Replacements: Atkin-Davies, Clifford, Bern, Galligan, Feaunati, L Packer, Scarratt, Sing
USA team news
Squad: Sharp; Henrich, Maher, Kelter, Mataitoga; Hawkins, Ortiz; Rogers, Treder, Sagapolu, Brody, Jarrell-Searcy, Zackary, Perris-Redding, Johnson
Replacements: Stathopoulos, Leatherman, Jacoby, Ehrecke, Tafuna, Bargell, Bitter, Ibarra
England vs USA prediction
Hosts England open the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup at the Stadium of Light on the back of a 27-match winning streak.
That run includes their triumphant Women’s Six Nations campaign during which they sealed the Grand Slam with a nail-biting 43-42 victory over France in the final-game decider.
The Red Roses have twice won the World Cup, and most recently lost in the final to six-time champions New Zealand in the 2021 event (which was ultimately staged in 2022).
USA are also former champions having won the inaugural event in 1991 when they beat England in the final, and went on to finish as runners up in the following two events.
Not quite where they once were in terms of their standing in the game, USA are currently in a rebuilding process with 11 players being named by head coach Sione Fukofuka who are set to feature in the World Cup for the first time.
England are currently the tournament favourites and can be fancied to record a comfortable win on home turf in this opener, with their power likely to overwhelm their opponents.
England vs USA tip: England to win with -43.5 handicap
